MEET TRANSITIONS STUDENTS

When Jessica began her time in the Winston Transitions program she had lingering difficulties with reading comprehension and processing information. Jessica and her family were unsure of what the next best step for her was after high school. When it came down to it, Jessica needed more time. Jessica’s Transitions program centered around continuing to strengthen her academic skills and self-confidence, while providing a variety of opportunities to discover what the next best step was for her. Initially, Jessica felt as though college was the next best step, but soon after she began taking a Landmark College WPS supported online course, she realized that her struggles with the comprehension may prove too great for a college curriculum. As Jessica began her second semester in the Transitions program the emphasis on increasing academic readiness continued; however, an additional emphasis was placed on preparing Jessica for a career. Through many discussions, feedback sessions and goal setting activities it became clear to Jessica that she truly enjoys helping others and was drawn to the health care profession. As such, she began the second year interning at Lenox Hill Hospital in the pre- and post- surgery department wherein she worked closely with the nursing staff and more importantly the patients. She was provided opportunities to work with the organizational side of a hospital, by keeping track of patient binders and filing, but she also was able to do more hands-on tasks, such as taking people’s blood pressure and completing pre- surgery interviews. Based on significant progress in her academic skills and internship experience, Jessica is now preparing to enter an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification course in the fall and will be working at a day camp for the summer.

Jarred spent the majority of his high school career increasing his problem solving, comprehension and expressive language skills. As he neared the conclusion of his high school career it was evident that his continued struggles with executive functioning directly impacted his ability to consistently apply acquired skills, remain goal oriented, self-regulate and respond to stimuli in a strategic and flexible manner. As a result, Jarred and his family were unsure of what the next step for him after high school should be. When he first joined Transitions, an immediate individualized and targeted program was put in place to provide Jarred with strategies to help him make strategic, flexible and appropriate decisions and manage impulsive reactions while strengthening academic areas of difficulty and work readiness skills. While much of this strategy instruction was targeted in the classroom, the key to Jarred’s success was the hands-on experience he gained through the internship prong of his Transitions program. Finding the right internship for Jarred was crucial to the process. His first year he was placed at Scratch DJ Academy, based on his social skills strengths and DJ enthusiasm. His time at Scratch DJ Academy strengthened his work readiness skills, while providing the opportunity to generalize and internalize the strategies he was learning to better self-regulate and remain goal-directed. In his second year of Transitions, Jarred’s internship placement was selected to link his talents and love of athletics to a real-world job experience. His internship at Studio 360, a spin and yoga studio in New York City, opened Jarred’s eyes to a whole new world of possibilities for a career in physical fitness. As Jarred concluded his time in the Transition program, he left with a deeper understanding of himself, a more developed ability to make strategic, flexible and appropriate decisions, and self-regulate his attention and reactions. As important, Jarred left the Transitions program with a clear goal to receive his certificate as a personal trainer and a permanent job with Studio 360.

WINSTON PREPARATORY SCHOOLMISSION STATEMENT Facilitate the independence and meaningful participation of students with specific learning
disorders through a Continuous Feedback System that develops skill acquisition and the Qualities of a Sustainable and Independent Learner. WPS also
seeks to influence the field of education with research and implementation models that achieve these ends, in this way.

Winston Preparatory School does not discriminate against applicants and students on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin. Read More